“Circling Back” — A 3Points Year in Review
As 2021 comes to an end, our team has taken the necessary time to reflect on the wide array of accomplishments, highlights, and victories we shared with our clients over the last 12 months. Like just about every other small business in 2021, we faced an interesting challenge: evolve and pursue excellence day in and day out — or die. We pushed each other, clients included, to find new methods of expression and communication. This challenge, by and large, was met with grit, authenticity, and precision (which happen to be our core values!), and for those who helped along the way with words of encouragement, ideas, and energy, we thank you. We had, thankfully, many great moments to consider and we bundled up our top ten below.
- Rheaply brings the circular economy to the world
Used cars, books, and clothes can get a bad rap. Why? Because used products don’t jive with society’s relentless desire for new things. But that linear (or “take-make-waste”) model has resulted in overflowing landfills and an increasingly unstable climate. Therefore it was a joyful day when MarketWatch used Rheaply and a few others to demonstrate how an alternative economic model — the circular economy — can pay big dividends for businesses of all sizes, and certainly for a planet whose survival depends on us starting to think (and act) differently.
2. Candlelite serves up a fresh look and feel
A major highlight for 3Points was assisting Candlelite, a local tavern-style pizza stalwart, publicize the launch of its nationwide frozen pizza delivery offering. Additionally, we were able to collaborate with Candlelite’s owners to create new branded materials that helped Candlelite not only fortify its business during the pandemic, but also expand and even add a new location! Oh, and, as a result of our media relations work, Candlelite landed in USA Today.
3. Vice District (re)launches
You know what pairs well with a gourmet Candlelite pizza: a tall blonde ale. So it was our pleasure to again get out of our B2B comfort zone and support the (re)launch of Vice District Brewing. In addition to helping people realize that Vice District beer is the “Beer of Discourse,” we also refreshed Vice’s logo and built the company a new website; now we’re working on more branded materials (including can designs) to help keep the momentum going!
4. Business Insider takes to Stagetime
It goes without saying that getting a startup placed in Business Insider is quite an achievement, and polishing our funding announcement offering was a huge part of making that possible. On top of getting that monumental placement for Stagetime, a networking platform for the performing arts, we successfully built buzz around funding announcements for several other companies, including Hirewell, Rheaply, and Tenacity.
5. FSB Companies takes stock of its branding
The private equity industry is not known for compelling brands and purpose-filled messaging, so we jumped at the opportunity to consult with FSB Companies, a Chicago-based PE firm. Saddled with a dated logo, and succeeding despite not having a rock-solid mission and vision, 3Points was tasked with overhauling the brand from the inside out. In executing our “Brand Blueprint,” 3Points provided FSB with a wide array of materials including a new logo, fresh iconography, uplifted messaging and branding, and a roadmap to ensure that the firm can grow into its newly established, yet deeply rooted, brand.
6. Trading Technologies trades up
Long before Robinhood’s effort to democratize trading, longtime client Trading Technologies (TT) was catalyzing the biggest shift in the history of trading — from floors to computer screens. TT’s steady drive to innovate and deliver world-class technology on a SaaS platform drew the side eye from industry veterans, but TT continued to make believers of even the most staunch trading traditionalist, eventually expanding to 14 offices around the world powered by 300+ professionals. Its existence as a standalone company came to a close after 25 years, though, as a group of savvy exchange operators saw the value and purchased TT outright.
7. Capital Markets Group is featured in the Wall Street Journal
It may be hard to believe that in 2021 there are still parts of the financial system untouched by the efficiency and precision that comes with a stellar SaaS product, but in the world of IPOs it was the case. Until, that is, Capital Markets Gateway (CMG) appeared on the scene. As CMG’s PR agency of record, we helped secure a full feature story in the venerable and coveted Wall Street Journal, giving CMG a welcomed boost of visibility and credibility.
8. We lend a hand to those who lend a hand
Our team was able to reach into industries that we had never touched before, allowing us to work with some spectacular people, and in particular, multiple nonprofits! We were excited to help Plant Chicago, a nonprofit working to cultivate local circular economies, elevate its visual identity and to assist BitGive, a Bitcoin 501c3 nonprofit, in spreading the word about the power of cryptocurrency in philanthropy. 3Points has always valued its communities and the people that make them, and having the ability to work with multiple clients that are working to better the world was a major highlight for us as a firm. We intend to do more of this work in 2022.
9. Hehmeyer lands in Crypto Valley
HTG, later Hehmeyer Trading + Investment, and then simply Hehmeyer, was 3Points’ first-ever client. As we’ve evolved, so has that storied firm’s trading operations — from trading “traditional” futures markets to being a leading liquidity provider for crypto assets. This year, Hehmeyer merged with Nortide and moved its headquarters to Crypto Valley, which is located in that nucleus of neutrality: Switzerland. The new firm, Hehmeyer Nortide AG, is dedicated to serving users of cryptocurrencies globally and is headquartered in Zug.
10. 3Points perseveres
Last, but far from least, is simply the fact that we successfully weathered what turned out to be a longer storm than anticipated. Despite the multiple variants, personal struggles, and other challenges, we persevered AND were able to safely gather a few times to maintain our company’s culture and personal connections. We swagged out with Moleskine notebooks and meme trading headbands — with more swag to come in 2022. The world might be more decentralized now, but we know the importance of preserving the ties between us — our goal for 2022 and beyond will be to continue to build those bonds, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
As you might have guessed, many of our high points came from helping clients succeed in their arenas. Whether our clients were in the food and beverage industry, tech space, or nonprofit world, the 3Points team was able to put its best foot forward every time, allowing our clients to feel the effects of a strong communications strategy. As we get ready to turn yet another page and start off 2022 strong, it is achievements like these that we will draw inspiration from. Again, thank you to all of the clients we were privileged to work with and the people who encouraged and counseled us along the way. This list would not exist with you. Here’s to a bright and brave 2022.
